It is a desperate bid by the BJP. Something it never attempted in the last three decades. The ruling party in Karnataka is trying its best to put up a creditable show in the Old Mysuru region where it has traditionally failed to make an impact.
The party is focussing its attention on this Vokkaliga belt while believing that its performance in all other areas will continue to be the same or better than in the 2018 polls.
Why Old Mysuru Matters
The party has never touched the majority (113 seats) mark in the state in general elections. Since it has made inroads in other areas, it believes that only a good performance in the Old Mysuru region will ensure it can accomplish that feat . For this reason, BJP bigwigs are leaving no stone unturned to impress the electorate.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow and speech in Mandya on March 12 seemed to evoke good response. On March 25, he will have made his seventh visit to the state since January, this time to inaugurate a Metro line in Bengaluru. Before him, Home Minister Amit Shah had visited Mandya. In all these events, a slew of inaugurations/laying of foundation stones were carried out.
BJP president JP Nadda launched the party’s “Vijay Sankalp Yatra” from Chamarajanagar district in the Old Mysuru region. The PM’s visit was preceded by independent Mandya MP Sumalatha pledging support to the BJP. Sumalatha is the wife of popular actor late Ambareesh who still has a good following in the constituency. Sumalatha had defeated Nikhil Kumar, son of former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy in a high-pitched battle for Lok Sabha in 2019. BJP had supported Sumalatha in that election.
A JD(S)-Congress Bastion
The region, which consists of nine districts, accounting for 57 seats, is known to be the stronghold of JD(S). Congress too has a sizable presence in the region which consists of districts of Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Kodagu, Mandya, Ramanagara, Hassan, Tumakuru, Chikkaballapura and Kolar (not considering Bengaluru Urban here). The region is the heartland of the powerful Vokkaliga community whose main support base is spread out in Mandya, Ramanagara and Hassan districts.
The fact that Old Mysuru sends 57 MLAs to the state assembly reflects the importance of the region and also why the BJP wants to do well here. Of this, in 2018, JD(S) won 27, Congress 17 and BJP only 11. The BJP took its tally from 11 to 15 in the byelections held following the defection of Congress and JD(S) MLAs to BJP during `Operation Lotus’. Such was BJP’s dismal performance in 2018 that it failed to open its account in four districts – Mandya, Ramanagara, Kolar and Chikkaballapura.
In the Vokkaliga fort of Hassan, Mandya and Ramanagara, JD(S) and Congress each had 40 percent vote share in 2018.
The BJP can take some solace from its showing in the 2019 byelections when its candidates won in KR Pet in Mandya district and Chikkaballapura grossing over 40 percent of votes. But then, BJP is beset with several problems while making its presence felt in the region.
No Big Vokkaliga Neta
The party has no strong Vokkaliga leader or for that matter from any other important community of Old Mysuru region whereas JD(S) has Gowda and Kumaraswamy while Congress has DK Shivakumar (all Vokkaligas) and Siddaramaiah (Kuruba). The lone tall Vokkaliga leader from the region SM Krishna, who joined BJP, has announced his retirement from politics.
But BJP does have Vokkaliga leaders from other parts of the state.
DV Sadananda Gowda was made CM and Union minister (but later dropped), CT Ravi was made the party’s national general secretary, Shobha Karandlaje is a Union minister of state, and CN Ashwath Narayan was a deputy chief minister (now a minister) etc. But this is perceived to have not cut ice with the community which goes by Deve Gowda as its undisputed leader.
Karnataka has a practice of appointing `district in-charge minister' but the BJP government is facing problems when appointing one for Mandya district. The appointment of R Ashoka, a Vokkaliga, as Mandya in-charge minister has faced stiff opposition from the district unit, reportedly for his soft-corner for the Gowda family. There were even "Go back Ashoka" posters. Minister Narayana Gowda was then given the charge but he refused. Now, there is no in-charge minister for Mandya, one of the key districts in Old Mysuru region. Similar factional troubles are also dogging BJP in Chamarajanagar.
Little Traction For Hindutva
Different state leaders have tried to whip up BJP’s favourite issue of Hindutva in the area – which has not seen any major communal incident in the last couple of decades – but the people seem to have not appreciated it much. Some BJP leaders have tried to prop up two apparently fictional characters – Uri Gowda and Dodda Nanje Gowda – as those who killed Tipu Sultan and not the British.
Muniratna, a minister and film producer, announced a film on the Vokkaliga chieftains. However, Vokkaliga pontiff Nirmalananda Swami intervened and said the issue should not be taken forward as there is no conclusive proof of the existence of these two characters. A day before the PM visited Mandya, a huge banner of these fictional men with Modi in the middle was put up in the town. However, as criticism mounted, the banner was hurriedly brought down.
Despite its dogged efforts, BJP seems a fair distance away from a good performance in the Old Mysuru region. However, it hopes to gain from a triangular contest with Congress and JD(S). Moreover, the BJP is famous for its long-term goals. At present, the party may not be unhappy with small gains but it is sure that it will up the ante before next year’s Lok Sabha polls and thereafter.
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